Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-01-07
THE EXECUTION NEXT FRIDAY.

Z. J. Cluverius, who lssss,s,s be executed
At Richmond OF Fl iaS. M IS. The - mur-
der Of bis cousin, Fannie Lillian Madison,
March 18th, 1885. spent his Christmas day
smoking and reading. He received two
or three visitors, including Capt. Frank
Cunningham, the tenor singer, who has
recently sung in his cell at his request
On New Years day be received reporter
of the Richmond Dispatch" with whom
he had long conversation. in which he
maintained his innocence. We take the
following extracts from the interview:
Then with your latest breath you VIII
proclaim your innocence?
have nothing TO proclaim. Some per-
sons who have pursued me with the bit
terest malignity seem TO be getting uneasy,
lest their greed after sensation should
contribute TO causing the sacrifice of my
life. | am innocent and can never say
aught else.
THE WATCH KEY AND JOEL.
Of Joel before and after the opening of the
key? the neWSpaS er man next asked Gu
vsr1us.
His testimony and conduct explain
themselves, said be. On the trial Joel
stated he did not expect to find any marks
on the key, but would be able to recognize
his WORK just as he would know his work
in a watch that he had repaired or clean
ed. From tbs published accounts I see
that he told the Governor he would find
in the key-if it was his work-two file
marks and a drop of solder at the end of
the barrel. This is proof of his unreliable
ifU for hp UOn1d have foupH fbpcn @
in nearly every key that had ever been re-
paired, as any good jeweller will tell you,
and as I learn through friends. He, 1
suppose, knew this. However, [ will not
say any more in way of free advertise
ment of him. suppose he has gotten all
he Uagated in that line. Reverse the case
and suppose that [ had relied upon such
testimony to prove the ownership of my
key With what howl of derision it
would have been crested by some, who
would have denounced such witness for
me as an unInitigated scouDdrel.
You deny that it was your watch key
found at the reservoir by the boy Isaac
Williams?
I not only deny it, but my brother and
DR.. j E. Courtney, with whom had an
office in common, and who is as upright
gentleman as any born in this Common
wealth. and who saw me daily, have both
sworn that this key was never in my pos
session.
WHEN HE LAST SAW LILLIAN.
When did you last see Lillian Mad
ison?
Before she left her home for Bath.
Then you insist that Mr.. A. W. Archer,
Of the Exchange. errs when he says that
you came to that hotel January 6, 1885,
and called for miss Merton"
l certainly did not call there for ana
girl the 9th of January, 1855, said the pris-
Oner.
Mr.. Henley was on the stand as wit
ness. Did your counsel ask him whether
Or not he saw you at Mozart Hall on the
night of March 18th?
1t appears from the record that they did
not.
WHY HE DID NOT 60 BEFORE THE
CORONER.
DIR. Taylor on two different occasions
gave you opportunity to testify before the
Coroner jury. Why did you not go be-
fore it and proclaim your innocence, and
call upon Henley to prove that he saw you
at Mozart Hall?
The case was then in the courts the
Coroner could not have dismissed it
Nothing [ might have said would have
been evidence at that time. Therefore, l
was advised to say nothing.
What induced you to go into trial when
you did-at q time when. according to
your friends. "the populace' was very ex-
cited and loudly demanding your blood?
1t is true, as every body knows, that the
populace ,uas excited TO an unusual degree.
This is seen from the fact that from a
city of 10000, after unusual diligence, a
jury could Lot be obtained. But it SEEM
nd G,r tL,ar Il fol,;
Moreover, knowing that | was innocent,
| had no special dread Of trial and wish
ed, for obvious reasons, to be restored to
liberty as soon as possible.
THE APPEAL TO THE LEGISLATURE.
Regarding the circular letter of W. B.
Cluverius to the members of the legisla-
ture published in the VINDICAToR last
Friday asking them to petition the Cover
nor for respite until the legislature meets,
Attorney General Ayres says that body
could take no action in the case which
would stay the execution of the sentence
of the court. ALI it could do would be for
members to sign petition to the Cover
nor for a communication. This was done by
former legislature IN the case OF W. d.
Coleman, Secretary Of the Board of Public
Works, sentenced to the State prison, but
Gov. Kemper paid no attention to it. So
far, Is of the 140 members of the Iegis]a-
ture to whom w. B. Cluverius' circular
was addressed, have complied with his re-,
quest, and sent kind, sympathetic de-
cilnations. Since that circular letter was
sent out, several members OF the Iegisla-
ture who received it have written to Gov.
Lee, saying that the case had been set
tied by the judicial and Executive de-
partments of the government and they
could not see what the legislature had to
do with it, and therefore had declined to
sign any petition to him touching it.
CLUvER1Us AS AN AUTHOR.
Much of the prisoners time in jail has
been spent in writing book. 1t will make
about two hundred pages in print, and
will be "a complete history of his life" 1t
will be published with the hope that the
receipts from it will, to some extent, at
least, reimburse his aunt. Mrs. Jane
Tunstall, who, from being in very COM
Portable circumstances, has almost i'm
poverished herself in providing means to
fight the prisoners battles. The book is
written entirely by the prisoner. No other
person has had a hand in it, and he has re-
celved no assistance except from the Rev.
Mr.. Pitt, who has been good enough to do
some copying for him.
LETTERS URGING THE COMPUTATION OF
THE SENTENCE.
Mr.. Carter Harrison. member Of the